


Grounded

by AmyWoolner



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker, May Parker (Spider-Man) Needs a Hug, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:27:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26595217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyWoolner/pseuds/AmyWoolner
Summary: It's the one year anniversary of Uncle Ben's death and Peter wants nothing more than to go and visit his grave. Only problem is, no one at the tower is aware of the significance of the day, and Peter is grounded.Irondad and SpidersonPlease don't repost my fics elsewhere unless I've given you specifically permission.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 233





	Grounded

Peter’s been distant all week, ever since Tony grounded him for failing a test that he definitely should have passed just because he was too tired from being spider-man and hanging out with Ned. Tony said he’s not allowed out apart from for school, and Peter isn’t allowed lab time until all his homework is done and he’s done at least a few hours of revision and school work. So Peter’s a bit mad at Tony, because he and Ned had planned to build a huge lego Tardis this week, but that doesn’t really explain why all of a sudden today he’s in a very weird mood. He’s quiet, but with everyone, not just Tony. He doesn’t laugh at Clint’s joke, he doesn’t train with Nat, he doesn’t talk to Bucky about cool inventions. They all notice something is really wrong, however, when Bruce asks if Peter wants to watch star wars with him and Peter says no.

It’s a Saturday, and Peter has been in joggers and an old hoodie all day. He doesn’t tell anyone it’s Ben’s hoodie. He doesn’t tell anyone that today is the one year anniversary of Ben's death. He doesn’t tell anyone that he spent all morning crying. He’s lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, when his phone rings. It’s May. She had to work today, and she really didn’t want to but they’re so hard up for money right now, so she had no choice. Peter stays at the tower most Friday’s, and May was glad for it last night because then Peter wouldn’t have to wake up alone.

“Hey, aunt May.” She can hear the thick emotion in his voice immediately.

“Hey baby. How are you feeling? You okay?” May asks, and Peter feels bad because he may have lost his uncle but she lost her husband.

“I’m- No. Are you?”

“No.” Peter wasn’t expecting May to be honest. It makes him feel worse. He starts crying again. “But baby, I finish at 5 today, and I’m gonna pick up thai, and then I’ll come and get you, and we can watch all his favourite films and we can talk about him, and we can cry, and it’ll be fine.” She says, and Peter sobs out a laugh.

“That sounds good.”

“Okay baby, I’ll get some larb, yeah?”

“Yeah. I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

Peter sits up with a sigh. 5pm. It’s only 10am. He has to cope for 7 hours without her. Peter huffs when his stomach grumbles. He’s managed to avoid everyone so far today, and he knows they’re all going to be in the common area. Peter’s stomach grumbles again, louder as if to make a point.

“Fine!” Her snaps to himself, dragging himself out of bed and down the hall.

“Hi Peter.” Bruce says as soon as he enters the living area.

“Hi Bruce.” Peter murmurs as he walks over to the kitchen, and he knows Bruce knows there’s something wrong. Usually he’s cheery and bouncy and upbeat and happy. The way he drags himself into the kitchen is so unlike him.

“You alright, kid?” Peter is busy looking for food, and blinks a few times before he realises what Bruce said.

“Huh? Yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” It’s such an obvious lie. Peter doesn’t think he’s ever been less fine. Apart from the night uncle Ben died.

“You sure? Wanna watch Star Wars?” Bruce asks, and Peter responds with nothing but a shrug as he starts making a sandwich before sitting at the counter to eat it.

Tony walks in just as Peter finishes his food, and Peter immediately looks down. He wants to visit uncle Ben’s grave, but he’s grounded, and he and Tony have been off with each other this week. It was the first time Tony’s had to ‘punish’ Peter, and he’s been grounded before, but it’s always aunt May that does the parenting. Tony punishing Peter made him realise just how much of a dad Tony is to him, and he feels weird about it. Especially today.

“You alright, kid?” Tony asks, walking over and filling up his mug with coffee.

“Mhmm.” Peter hums quietly, and Tony frowns at him.

“What’s up?” Peter shrugs. He just wants to go and talk to uncle Ben, he doesn’t want to talk about him to Tony. Especially at the moment.

“Nothing.” Peter gets up and leaves the room, and he gives it a few moments before walking over to the lift. It opens and he steps in, but when he presses the ground floor button Friday speaks up.

“You are grounded, Peter.” Friday says, and Peter sighs.

“I know.”

“I have been instructed not to let you leave the tower.”

“I- I just want to see uncle Ben.” He says, a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes, and Peter doesn’t think Friday really gets it, but without saying another word the lift starts moving, and Friday doesn’t try to stop him as he walks out of the tower.

  
  
  


Tony is sat on the sofa with Natasha, Bruce, Steve, Bucky and Rhodey. He’s angry, they can all tell, and Rhodey gives him a look when they hear the lift moving.

“Go easy on him, Tone.” Rhodey says, because Tony is ready to be mad at Peter for leaving the tower when he knew he was grounded. He’s ready to be angry that Peter disobeyed the rules. He’s ready to question how he got past FRIDAY. He’s ready to shout at him for going out when he hasn’t finished all his homework yet. He’s ready to be upset with him about how Peter has been ignoring him all week. He’s not ready for the look on Peter’s face when the lift doors open. The avengers haven’t seen Peter upset before, and they weren’t prepared for how heartbreaking the sight is. Tony was not ready to see Peter walk into the room with tears streaming down his cheeks, looking so damn broken and miserable. All Tony’s anger melts away when Peter’s eyes meet his.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbles, and it’s thick with emotion, and Tony frowns.

“Kid what’s wrong?” Tony asks, and instead of replying Peter lets out a choked sob. Tony sighs, gestures for Peter to walk over, and when he’s standing in front of Tony, who is sitting on the sofa, Tony grabs his arm gently and sits him down on the coffee table. “Perché stai piangendo?” Tony whispers, and Peter squeezes his eyes shut, more tears falling down his cheeks. He knows he needs to tell Tony the truth.

“A year ago today a man with a gun walked past me.” Peter takes a shaky breath in. Tony isn’t sure where this is going. “I was scared, and I was angry, so I didn’t stop him. I didn’t stop him but Ben tried to, and he got shot. Uncle Ben died because I didn’t stop him when I could have.” Peter squeezes his eyes shut again, not sure he wants to see the look on Tony’s face when he admits it’s all his fault. “Uncle Ben died because of me.” Peter sobs, and Tony moves so he’s kneeling in front of Peter, puts his hands on his shoulders.

“Pete-” He whispers, “Kid it wasn’t your fault.”

“When you can do the things I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.” Peter whimpers.

“You’d already been bit when he died?” Peter nods, and Tony pulls him into a hug, Peter buries his face in Tony’s shoulder. “Pete, it’s not your fault. What happened to uncle Ben was not your fault. No one would have expected you to stop him.”

“But I could have. And I didn’t.”

“Tesoro, you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“It’s true.”

“No, bambino, it’s not.” Tony whispers, running his fingers through Peter’s hair. “Is that why you disappeared?” Peter nods.

“Wanted to see him.” He whimpers, and Tony knows what he means, and he takes a deep breath in.

“Kid you could have told me.”

“Don’t like talking about it.”

“I meant about wanting to see him. I would have let you go.” Tony says, pulling out of the hug and wiping the tears off of Peter’s cheeks. Peter nods, and Tony sighs, ruffling his hair.

“You and May gonna do something later?”

“Yeah,” Peter rubs his eyes with his sleeve-covered hand, “She’s gonna get thai and we’re gonna watch his favourite films and talk about him. We don’t talk about him much. I don’t wanna forget him.” Peter says, and Tony squeezes his arm.

“You’re not gonna forget him, kid.” Peter looks down, kind of guilty.

“I forgot my parents.” He says quietly, and when Tony hasn’t responded he continues. “Not how they look, cause I have pictures. But their voices, and how their hugs felt, and what their laugh sounded like. Don’t know their favourite films or music or food. Don’t know anything about them apart from the fact that I have my mum’s eyes and smile and my dad's hair and nose. Things I learnt from pictures and what Aunt May told me.” Peter sighs, shrugs because he was never as close to his parents as he was to Uncle Ben, he didn’t have time to be. “I’m gonna nap before aunt May gets here.” Tony’s kind of in shock, at everything Peter just told him, so he just nods, presses a kiss against his forehead, and lets him go.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it, let me know :) ♥
> 
> Oh also Perché stai piangendo means 'why are you crying' (I think, my Italian is not great) also the other Italian words are just pet names, don't worry about them.


End file.
